The NTT IndyCar Series drivers hit the streets of Long Beach on Friday afternoon, shortly after IMSA was done with their practice runs, to turn some laps of their own.
IndyCar once again chose to experiment with the format of Friday’s lone practice session, splitting the field into two groups for a portion of the allotted time.
All 27 drivers were allowed to turn laps on the 1.97-mile street course for the first 45 minutes, but then were only permitted to hit the track for one of the two 10-minute sessions that followed immediately after.
The split running is designed to give fans more total time with cars on track, and also to allow drivers a better chance to set a complete lap without traffic getting in the way.
A slightly different split format was trailed at the first race of the year on the streets of St. Petersburg, and was met with positive reactions from all areas of the paddock.
At the end of all three segments, it was Pato O’Ward that made his way to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:06.6874.
The popular Mexican driver was only 0.094 seconds quicker than Will Power, who put his lengthy experience to use by pushing the envelope at every corner and getting up to speed quickly.
Scott McLaughlin added a third Chevy to the top of the charts, showing again the drivability the company has brought to its engines this year.
Felix Rosenqvist continued his good start to the season with Meyer Shank Racing, setting the fourth best time with his Honda powered machine.
The harder Firestone tires, which have been designed to accommodate the added weight that is coming later in the year with the hybrid introduction, meant that the second flying lap was the one that allowed the fastest speeds.
That trend will likely continue throughout the weekend, and will give drivers fits in the race as they try to warm their fresh tires as quickly as possible after each pit stop.
A lot of eyes were on Theo Pourchaire as he made his IndyCar debut filling in for David Malukas, who continues to recover from his off season hand injury.
The reigning F2 champion wrestled the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevy around the tricky streets and successfully accomplished the most important task of the afternoon: keeping his car out of the concrete barriers.
Pourchaire’s speed also impressed, as he set the 21st fastest time of the afternoon, lapping faster than six of his more experienced competitors.
The young French driver turned 35 laps with the time he was allotted, equaling the most of any driver on the grid, and gained plenty of experience to help him throughout the rest of the weekend.
Kyle Kirkwood, the winner of last year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, had a less than perfect session, with shifting problems plaguing his Andretti Global Honda.
The 25-year-old reported trouble downshifting from his very first laps, and his crew battled to resolve the issue throughout the first portion of Friday’s running.
A few drivers ran wide into the runoff zones, and a few others brushed up against the concrete walls, but there were remarkably no incidents or crushed suspension from any driver in the field.
The only two stoppages came near the end of the timed runs, which landed Kyffin Simpson a five-minute loss of track time because the safety crew had to restart his stalled car on two separate occasions.
IndyCar’s second practice session takes place Saturday morning at 8:25 Pacific Time, which leads into an earlier-than-normal qualifying timeslot to allow IMSA to hold its race Saturday afternoon.
